"Objectionable" things

[MTARR@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU]

Hi!

Farrell writes:

>   I don't know if Tori is a Wiccan, but let me put it this way, if you 
>think Blacks and other visible minorities have it hard in the States, you 
>should try being a Witch or Pagan of some flavour! I am both a Pagan and a 
>Witch, and can tell you about some major horror stories of how we have been 
>persecuted recently (like in the past year or so even!), and how we have at 
>times been denighed our basic human rights! Hey, this is not in a third 
>world dictationship, this is  in the U.S. of A! About the only person who 
>has publicly acknowledged that they are Wiccan is Stevie Nicks. But she and 
>Fleetwood Mac are big enough that the Fundies cannot hurt them. A new Artist 
>(relativly) like Tori could have her career squashed if some Fundie 
>organization decided to have a "witch hunt"...even if she isn't Craft!

First, I want to make clear that I'm not saying Tori is Craft or anything- the
"Tori's a witch" thing is purely a joke I made up.  I don't think you were
thinking otherwise in your post at all, I just wanted to make sure nobody took
this the wrong way...

Persecution of any kind makes me ill.  While not a pagan myself, I think the
whole thing is fascinating, and I support all pagans' right to practice
whatever they want.  I think that if Tori were ever to have problems with her
image it would come from people objecting to her lyrics more than anything
else.

Interestingly, I notice there hasn't been much chatter on the music lists I'm
on about the impending law going into effect in Washington State in June making
it a felony for record stores to sell "objectionable" music to minors.  What 
will be deemed objectionable is literally going to be up to the musical tastes 
of the judges who deal with the individual cases.  This is censorship, folks, 
pure and simple- people out there from Washington, what's going on to combat
this despicable law???

If you just look at lyrics to decide what kids under 18 are allowed to buy,
Tori's long gone- never mind Kate!!!  I hope enough record stores get nailed
with this to completely block up the legal system, and do it so badly that
people realize just what a stupid thing it is and repeal it as soon as
possible.  Of course, with things as they are the Supreme Court probably
wouldn't overturn it on Constitutional grounds... grrrr.

Sorry to rant, I'm just wondering if people are aware of what's going on in our
country.  I welcome clarifications on this matter from people who live in the
area- my information is solely from a Boston Globe article from a week or so 
ago.
 
  ======================================================================
  |Meredith Tarr                      "Get to the point you sappy wimps|
  |Wesleyan University                 I haven't got a lifetime        |
  |Middletown, CT                      Simplicity is beauty            |
  |USA, Earth                          Are there poets less sublime?"  |
  |mtarr@eagle.wesleyan.edu                            -Happy Rhodes   |
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